Chapter 31 Family That I Chose #2
“Mr. Kwon,” I said, offering a polite nod.
He shook his head, crossing the room to pull me into a brief, firm hug. “It’s been far too long, how’s the family?”
“Good, Dad’s busy as ever, Cahya’s about to graduate and Soleh passes his time by murdering his Sims four characters.” I expressed and he laughed.
“so barely anything has changed?” He figured.
“Yeah, you could say that.”
I laughed nervously, caught off guard by his warmth.
“Appa I brought Yesoh here so that I could let you know that we’ve been able to get close again, much more than we ever were.” Wynter said, his voice deliberate. “She’s my girlfriend.”
Mrs Kwon’s gaze moved between us, his brows lifting slightly. Then his face broke into a broad smile. “Well, it’s about time.” He stepped back, his hands on his hips. “You two have been attached at the hip since you were kids. The rest of us saw this coming years ago.”
“Why does everyone always say that?” Wynter perplexed.
Maybe because I have always had the most obvious crush on you, I wanted to say, but didn’t wanting to preserve his perspective of those summers.
Before I could reply, a familiar voice came from the hallway. “Did you tell them yet, Wyn?”
I turned to see Beck standing there, her dark hair tied into a sleek ponytail. The streak she’d once worn proudly was gone, replaced by a more understated elegance. She looked older, sharper, as if the years had distilled her into something even more precise.
“Beck,” Wynter said, his tone warm as he went to hug her.
She returned the hug with one arm, her gaze shifting to me. “And you brought Soh, took you long enough.”
“Beck, hi,” I said, stepping forward.
Beck’s sharp eyes studied me for a moment before she extended her hand. “It’s good to see you again. You haven’t changed much. Still… much softer than the rest of us.”
I wasn’t sure if that was meant as a compliment, but I smiled anyway. “You look great. The streak’s gone.”
Her lips twitched in something that resembled a smile. “It was intentional, I assure you. it was time to grow up. You should try it sometime, Wynter.”
“Why am I catching flames?” Wynter shot back.
The playful bickering was interrupted by a loud clatter from the kitchen.
“Bae!” Mr. Kwon’s voice carried an edge of exasperation.
“Coming!”
A whirlwind of energy burst into the room, carrying a mixing bowl and a wooden spoon. Bae’s hair was piled into a messy bun, and flour smudged her cheek. Her eyes were wide with excitement, her movements quick and chaotic.
“Hi!” she chirped, ignoring her father’s pointed glare. “Sorry about the noise. I was making cookies, but the mixer kind of exploded. Did you know they can do that? Because I didn’t.”
“You overfilled it,” Beck said flatly, her tone dripping with disdain.
“Thanks for the analysis, attorney Kwon,” Bae replied with an exaggerated roll of her eyes. Then she turned to me, her energy lighting up the room. “Oh my gosh, you’re here! I’m so glad you came Soh. You guys are finally officially together yes?”
“Yes, I—”
“I knew it!” she interrupted, practically bouncing. “I told everyone. I said, ‘Wynter and Yesoh are totally a thing.’ But nobody listens to me.”
“Because you’re usually wrong,” Beck muttered, sipping her tea.
“Not about this!” Bae countered, her grin wide. She leaned closer to me, lowering her voice as if sharing a secret. “By the way, don’t eat the cookies. They might be poisonous.”
“Bae,” Mr. Kwon said, pinching the bridge of his nose. “The kitchen.”
“Yes, yes, I’m going!” She waved a flour-covered hand and darted back into the chaos she’d left behind.
“She’s… lively,” I said, smiling despite myself.
“She’s exhausting,” Beck corrected, though there was a glimmer of affection in her tone.
“She’s Bae,” Wynter said simply, his voice softer.
Later Bae begged Beck and I to head down to the store to buy more cookie batter so she could attempt her mission again.
The grocery store was alive with chatter, the beeping of cash registers, and the faint, tinny sound of holiday music playing over the speakers.
Beck walked beside me, her stride purposeful and poised, just as I remembered.
Even in a simple black coat and jeans, she exuded that polished, untouchable air that made you sit up straighter in her presence.
I pushed the cart, weaving through aisles as Beck glanced down at the list she’d made. “Bae’s instructions were… vague,” she said, her lips twitching in amusement.
“She said to get ‘a ton of batter and whatever looks fun,’” I reminded her.
“‘Fun’ by Bae’s standards usually means something absurdly colorful or covered in sugar,” Beck replied dryly, but there was a fondness in her voice that softened the words. “It’s a miracle she didn’t burn down the kitchen this time.”
I laughed, grabbing a bag of chocolate chips and tossing it into the cart. “You sound like you’ve been through this before.”
“Oh, countless times,” Beck said with a mock sigh, her eyes scanning the shelves. “I think it’s her creative spirit. She approaches baking the same way an artist approaches a blank canvas—except the canvas usually ends up inedible.”
We turned into the baking aisle, the shelves lined with every kind of mix, frosting, and sprinkle imaginable. Beck reached for a box of cookie batter and handed it to me, pausing as she glanced at her phone.
“Work?” I asked.
“No,” she said quickly, tucking the phone away. But the way her cheeks turned pink gave her away.
I smirked. “Rhodes?”
Ah yes Beck’s mystery boy she’s been head over heels for since the summer she’d met him on the island. She’d hid him from us for years. Until he’d earned his way into knowing her family.
Her blush deepened, and she rolled her eyes, though there was no real annoyance behind it. “Yes, it’s Rhodes. He’s checking in on a patient and wanted to let me know he’d be home late.”
“Home?” I asked, arching an eyebrow.
Her blush spread to her ears. “We’re moving in together after the holidays,” she admitted, her tone matter-of-fact, though the faint smile on her lips betrayed her excitement.
“That’s amazing, Beck,” I said, meaning it. “I’m happy for you.”
“Thanks,” she murmured, glancing down at the cart to avoid my gaze. “He’s… he’s everything I didn’t think I needed. Calm, steady. You know, not like me at all.”
“He’s a doctor, right?”
She nodded. “A surgeon. He keeps telling me I need to ‘relax’ more.” She snorted softly. “Like that’s even possible.”
I smiled, watching the way her face softened whenever she talked about him. It was such a stark contrast to the Beck I used to know—the sharp, guarded girl who didn’t let anyone in.
“You’re in love with him,” I said teasingly, and her head shot up, her eyes wide.
“I didn’t say that,” she said quickly.
“You didn’t have to,” I replied, laughing. “Your face says it all.”
“Okay, fine,” she muttered, her cheeks flaming. “Maybe I am. But if you tell Wynter or Bae, I’ll deny it.”
“Your secret’s safe with me,” I promised, holding up an imaginary lock over my lips.
We continued down the aisle, tossing in another bag of flour and some colorful sprinkles for good measure. Beck’s usual composed demeanor had returned, but I could still see the faint smile lingering at the edges of her lips.
“So,” she said after a moment, her tone shifting. “How did you and Wynter finally get together? Or do I have to piece it together from Bae’s dramatic retellings?”
I laughed, leaning on the cart handle as we rounded a corner. “It just… happened. One day, he stopped being the boy next door and became something more.”
Beck raised an eyebrow. “That’s vague. Come on, give me the real story.”
“Fine,” I said, grinning. “I wanted to learn how to skate, he offered to teach me and then one thing led to another. He said, he started to see me differently or whatever that means.”
“And you?” She wondered, “ That must’ve been difficult to reckon with, considering you’d seen him in that light all along.”
“I know for certain I wanted it all along,” I admitted, my voice softening. “I just didn’t know how to say it.”
Beck smiled faintly, pulling the cart to a stop. “He’s always been careful with his heart, you know. Even when we were kids.”
I nodded, understanding exactly what she meant.
“Can I ask you something Yesoh, do you promise to be honest with me?” I questioned.
“Yes, of course.” I insisted.
“Is Wynter happy?” she asked suddenly, her voice quieter now.
The question caught me off guard, but I didn’t hesitate to answer. “Yes. I think he is.”
“Does he ever talk about…does he ever mention—”
“No, never.” I deadpanned.
“I figured.” She sighed deeply, a pained expression on her face.
“But he is happy.”
Beck studied me for a moment, her expression unreadable. Then she nodded, as if that was all she needed to hear.
“Good,” she said simply, reaching for another bag of sugar. “He deserves to be.”
By the time we got to the checkout, the cart was piled high with everything Bae could possibly need—and then some. Beck pulled out her wallet and handed over a sleek black credit card, her movements efficient and unbothered.
“You didn’t have to do that,” I said as we wheeled the cart outside.
“Please,” she replied with a wave of her hand. “You think I’m letting Wynter pay for this? He’d never let me hear the end of it.”
I laughed, the cold air nipping at my cheeks as we loaded the bags into the car. Beck closed the trunk with a decisive click and turned to me, her expression softening.
“Thanks for coming with me,” she said.
“Of course,” I replied, smiling.
For a moment, we just stood there, the city lights reflecting off the frost-covered car. It felt like a tiny pocket of calm in the middle of the chaos.
“You’re good for him, you know,” Beck said finally, her voice quiet but certain. “Don’t let him mess it up.”
I laughed, feeling the weight of her words settle warmly in my chest. “I won’t.”
With that, she climbed into the driver’s seat, her phone already lighting up with another text from Rhodes. I slid into the passenger seat, still smiling as we pulled away from the store, the sound of Bae’s excited voice already filling my mind as we drove back to the apartment.